Luminaries - Talking to the Brightest Minds in Tech

The Railroad...Where Innovation Produces Profit

Episode Summary

Sometimes the best way to get ahead in business is to think small. Compared to the multi-billion-dollar titans in their industry, Rio Grande Pacific is more nimble, reactive, and able to communicate more closely with the niche market they serve. On this episode, Rio Grande Pacific CIO Jason Brown shares how his IT department mixes traditional IT, marketing and customer service to drive innovation. Because IT can become a profit center for any business… if you have the right mindset.

Episode Notes

Listen in to Learn

How Innovation in IT Leads to New Revenue Streams

IT is generally considered a cost center in organizations. At best, we see the IT department as providing vital infrastructure to support the business; it’s part of the operating cost, not really an investment that pays dividends.

Jason Brown, the CIO of Rio Grande Pacific, is out to change that perception. He believes the IT department can be a source of innovation, finding new ways to meet customer needs – and, yes, generating revenue.

In this interview, Jason shares how Rio Grande Pacific stays nimble and aggressive, moving faster than their larger competitors. He also discusses how to overcome resistance to change and get organization-wide buy-in to adopt new technology.

Listen to the episode to learn how Jason’s IT department unites marketing, R&D, and customer service to create solutions that fit the company’s niche market.